Struggling With Feelings And Thoughts

I have been in therapy for about 2 months I feel still though that I am still struggling with my feeling and thoughts. Each week I go to talk and I always have a new problem in my life to deal with but I never am just happy? I’m starting to even feel like a burden to everyone cause I just can’t get it together. I don’t even really feel like going to talk cause I just feel like I fail at this too. Sometimes when I’m really upset I feel like I need something more to help me calm down while other times more so now I just feel a bit numb like I don’t care either way cause its all to much. What else can I say or do to help myself I’m at the point to even tell my social worker that there is no point in trying at this. Too many topics that are a mess in my life to fix I hate feeling this way Is there anything else I can do?

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Answer:

Well – psychotherapy is a great thing for helping people manage depression (which is possibly what is going on for you at least on the surface given your helpless/hopeless feelings, numbness, and feeling like a burden to others). However, not all psychotherapy is alike. You may not be receiving the best type of psychotherapy for your problem. If you are depressed, and if a reduction of your depression symptoms is what you want to achieve, then you should look into Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy, or Interpersonal Therapy. These two forms of therapy are what are known as Empirically Validated – a fancy term meaning that they have been studied and are known to work for specific problems (in this case, depression). Your social worker may not be using either of these fairly standardized therapy approaches (possibly because she has not been trained to offer them?).

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Of course, the other big thing you can do to help with symptoms of depression is to see a doctor about antidepressant medication. It is best to seek out a Psychiatrist (a doctor who specializes in treating mental health problems) when you go for a prescription. A psychiatrist is more likely than other doctors to have studied the many different treatment choices and to know which one will be best for your presentation.

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There are many other things you can do too. Exercise or regular physical activity for one thing is a very useful mood lifter, as is joining clubs and organizations, participating in support groups, and other social activities, etc. You may find more useful information in our Emotional Resiliance, or Depression topic center articles.

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